Stove Service Tray

ABSTRACT

A stove service tray for safely removing embers and charcoal from a stove. The stove service tray includes a flat surface with a peripheral edge. A portion of the peripheral edge has a lip designed to contain embers or charcoal within the flat surface. One or more support legs are attached to the underside of the tray. Additionally, there are removable panels that, when removed, reveal an opening adapted to engage a portion of a stove, enabling the plate to be placed flush against a stove for efficient removal of embers or charcoal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/156,585 filed on May 4, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to stove service trays. More specifically, the present invention relates to stove service trays with removable panels that, when removed, allow for a flush fit when placed adjacent to a stove, enabling convenient cleaning of embers and charcoal while protecting the surrounding area.

Stoves designed to burn combustible material, such as wood and coal, have long been used for heating and cooking and still continue to be employed for these uses today. While there have been many improvements to the stove, such as new designs for burning efficient wood pellets instead of wooden logs, many basic aspects remain unchanged. One such aspect is the requirement to periodically remove embers and charcoal from the stove. This is often accomplished by using a shovel or brush-like utensil to move the burnt remains out of the stove and into a receptacle.

Devices are known in the prior art that provide stove trays for removing embers and charcoal, as well as trays designed to be placed inside the stove to catch remains as they fall. However, there lacks a stove service tray that offers removable panels to enable the tray to be placed flush next to differently shaped stoves for easy removal of embers and charcoal without the risk of dropping the incendiary material onto the floor surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of stove service trays now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a stove service tray wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when cleaning out the burnt remains from the inside of a stove. The present stove service tray comprises a plate with a peripheral edge. There is a lip disposed along a portion of the peripheral edge. There can be one or more adjustable support legs attached to the underside of the tray that enables the tray to rest flush against a stove opening. Additionally, there are marked lines disposed on one side of the plate that can either be scored or perforated in various shapes. These shapes can be removed from the plate in the form of panels, enabling the tray to be placed flush against the front of different stoves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the stove service tray.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the stove service tray with panels removed.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the stove service tray with an alternative panel removed.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the stove service tray in use.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of an embodiment of the stove service tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the stove service tray. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, there are shown perspective views of an embodiment of the invention with and without the panels removed. The stove service tray 30 comprises a plate 10 composed of fire resistant material with an outer peripheral edge, wherein a portion of the peripheral edge has a lip thereon. The plate 10 is preferably substantially planar and is adapted to be disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation in use. In one embodiment of the invention, the lip is constructed from the same piece of material as the plate by bending the edges of the plate to a substantially perpendicular angle. In another embodiment of the invention the lip is constructed by attaching a separate piece of material to the plate along the second edge. The lip is configured to keep the embers and charcoal that are transferred to the plate from a stove within the plate and prevent them from spilling over.

In one embodiment of the invention, the plate 10 is shaped in a rectangular form, having four sides. Three edges of the plate 11, 12 are surrounded by a lip substantially perpendicular to the plate. A fourth edge 14 is adapted to be placed against or adjacent to a stove when the plate is in use, thus no lip is required. In another embodiment of the invention, the plate takes the form of a semi-circle, wherein a lip runs along the curved edge. In further embodiments of the invention the plate can take various forms, provided that there remains a portion of the peripheral edge with a lip.

The plate contains perforations 16 forming panels of various shapes that share one side with a peripheral edge 14 of the plate 10. These perforations 16 are made to allow for a panel 13 of the plate to be removed. The panel 13 is shaped such that the opening created in the plate 10 after the removal of the panel 13 is configured to accommodate the frame of a stove. In one embodiment of the invention there is one panel 13 formed by a perforation 16. In another embodiment of the invention, there are multiple panels 13 formed by perforations 16 with various shapes to allow a user to remove the panel that best fits the stove they wish to use the invention with. For example, FIG. 2 shows a stove service tray 30 with two smaller rectangular panels 13 removed to accommodate a stove with two similarly positioned legs, while FIG. 3 shows a tray 30 with a trapezoid-shaped panel 13 removed to accommodate a similarly shaped stove.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, the panels configured to be removed are demarcated by scored lines in the place of perforations. Either configuration is designed to be easily removed by user.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the stove service tray in use. In the shown embodiment, the stove service tray 30 has a trapezoidal-shaped single panel removed, allowing the tray 30 to be placed flush against the base of a stove 30 with a similar shape. In this embodiment, embers or charcoal may be removed from the interior of the stove through a central door and swept into the stove service tray. The dimensions of the tray are such that the floor beneath the tray is protected from any combustible material falling from the interior of the stove. Additionally, the raising lip of the of stove service tray ensure that the embers or charcoal remain contained in the tray and cannot easily fall off the tray.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a side view of the invention. The tray 30 is supported by one or more legs 20 that are attached to the underside of the plate. Preferably, the legs 20 are secured to the plate so that the legs are substantially perpendicular thereto. The legs 20 have adjustable feet 21 which can be lowered or raised to ensure that the stove service plate 30 is sturdy when in use. In this way, each leg can be independently adjusted to a desired length. In one embodiment of the invention, the legs 20 can be adjusted such that the tray 30 is placed at a slight angle. This is to ensure that the embers or charcoal are contained within the plate via the lip 11, 12 and do not fall out over the edge of the plate 14.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A stove service tray, comprising: a plate having a peripheral edge, wherein the plate further comprises one or more removable panels; a lip disposed along a portion of the peripheral edge. 2) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein the lip is positioned substantially perpendicular to the plate. 3) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises a rectangular configuration and wherein the lip extends along three edges of the plate. 4) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises a semi-circle configuration and wherein the lip extends along the curved side of the plate. 5) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein there is a single removable panel configured to match an outline of a stove. 6) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of removable panels configured to match an outline of legs of a stove. 7) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein the one or more removable panel are defined by a perforated line. 8) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein the one or more removable panels are defined by a scored line. 9) The stove service tray of claim 1, further comprising one or more adjustable legs disposed on the underside of the plate. 10) The stove service tray of claim 1, wherein the one or more removable panels are positioned such that a portion of each removable panel abuts the peripheral edge of the plate. 